Additionally, Bardugo wrote the spin-off seriesSix of Crows, set in Kerch two years after the events of Ruin and Rising.

Six of Crows (2015)

Crooked Kingdom (2016)

Set primarily in the fictional country of Ravka, there is a form of magic that exists known as "The Small Science." Those who can wield it are called Grisha, powerful practitioners considered to be a part of an exclusive class. Those who do not possess this power are called Otkazat'sya, and function normally as shopkeepers, laborers and soldiers.

In the first book, Alina Starkov is a young woman who lives the simple life of a mapmaker, traveling with the First Ravkan Army and charting The Shadow Fold, a mysterious dark region that splits Ravka in two and is considered to be uncrossable because of the monsterous Volcra that lurk within. Raised in an orphanage with no discernible magical abilities, Alina accepts this as her lot in life and the only way she can be useful to her country. Her only family is her best friend and fellow soldier Mal, with whom she has been secretly in love for years. Of course, Mal doesn't realize any of this, and treats her like a sister.

When their regiment is sent into the Shadow Fold, it is almost immediately met with disaster. The company is powerless to stop the slaughter as the Volcra attack and feed on the soldiers. Mal is nearly killed, and when Alina tries to help she suddenly unleashes a blinding light that destroys the Volcra. Alina is immediately brought before The Darkling, the enigmatic leader of the Grisha and second in power only to the King. It is discovered that not only is Alina a Grisha, but that she possesses the rarest and most powerful ability of them all: That of a Sun Summoner, and the only one who can destroy the Shadow Fold.

This trilogy provides examples of:

Mal is handsome, an unbelievably good tracker, and makes friends very easily. Alina muses that you could drop him anyway in the world and before long he'd fit in perfectly. But he becomes a Broken Ace later on.

Nikolai is brave, clever, charismatic, hard-working, and creative. As shown in the second book, he does a much better job running the kingdom than his father or older brother.

Achey Scars: In Siege and Storm, Alina gets one from the Darkling's shadow soldiers. It itches whenever the Darkling is near.

Bilingual Bonus: Though the author takes some artistic license and most words are Russian-like, there are a few actual words, including "Tsar."

Bittersweet Ending: In Shadow and BoneAlina breaks free from her enslavement to The Darkling and saves Mal's life, but in the process she is forced to leave everyone on the sand skiff to their (more than likely) deaths.

In Ruin And Rising, both Alina and Mal defeat the Darkling, but she loses her Grisha abilities, and Mal his tracking ability. More sweet than bitter, in that they fake their deaths, allowing them to live a quiet life away from politics.

Book Ends: Each book begins and ends with a chapter told in third-person, whereas the rest of the book is told from Alina's first-person perspective.

Brought Down to Normal: Ulimately Alina's fate at the end of Ruin and Rising after the third amplifier is provided, freeing her up for Mal, while simultaneously breaking the hearts of most of the fandom.

The Chosen One: Alina is the world's only Sun Summoner and the only Grisha with the power to destroy The Shadow Fold.

The Charmer: Nikolai has so much charisma that Alina is initially disturbed by how quickly and easily he gets large numbers of people to trust and admire him.

Consummate Liar: The Darkling. He tells Alina that he will use her power to destroy the Fold, when in actuality he means to expand it as a weapon.

Also, his age and his promise to Alina that he won't kill Mal. That last one is only true by technicality.

Color-Coded Wizardry: Grisha wear robes called kefta, which are color-coded depending on which class they belong to: Etherealki (blue), Corporalki (red), and Materialki (purple). Servants wear white and grey. The Darkling is technically an Etherealki, but only he can wear the color black.

One of Alina's most defining traits, but Mal and The Darkling have their moments as well.

The Darkling: What are you smiling at?

Alina: Myself.

The Darkling: Are you that funny?

Alina: I'm hilarious.

Later on, Sturmhond aka Prince Nikolai Lantsov takes the cake.

Alina: The Darkling will hunt you for the rest of your days.

Sturmhond: Then you and I will have something in common, won't we? Besides, I like to have powerful enemies. Makes me feel important.

Mall: I can't decide if you're crazy or stupid.

Sturmhond: I have so many good qualities. It can be hard to choose.

When Nikolai and Alina get together, prepare for feelings of frustration and amusement.

Alina: Thanks for the rescue.

Nikolai: Everyone needs a hobby.

Alina: I thought yours was preening.

Nikolai: Two hobbies.

Diagonal Cut: The Darkling possesses a rare magical ability called "The Cut" which is Exactly What It Says on the Tin. He first demonstrates this power to save Alina's life just as an assailant is about to stab her through the heart. She is understandably horrified when the man splits in half before her.

Fairest of Them All: Genya is so goddamn beautiful it's ridiculous. Justified, in that she's a Tailor, a Grisha with the ability to, among other things, make small tweaks and alterations to a person's appearance, and she's been working on herself for quite a while.

Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Tsarist Russia is this for the fictional Ravka. Shu Han appears to have taken inspiration from Imperial China and Fjerda has elements of Scandanvia.

Food Porn: Subverted at first. The Darkling insists that his Grisha eat simply as the common people do, though they still get to have real sugar. Played straight when Alina goes to the palace and describes the delicacies served there.

Freudian Excuse: Ivan follows the Darkling because he believes that the Darkling can end the centuries-long wars that his brothers, uncle and father died fighting in.

Gratuitous Russian: Oh, so gratuitous. Many Ravkan words are actually Russian words in so totally wrong context, form and declension that it will make a Russophone cringe.

Insistent Terminology: Strumhond isn't a pirate, he's a privateer. In real life at least, this would in fact be a very important distinction to make - as a privateer, he would essentially be "licensed" by a country to raid and seize the shipping of specific unfriendly nations, and as such enjoy a certain level of protection from them. An out-and-out pirate, on the other hand, would be at the nonexistent mercy of anyone who could catch him.

It Gets Easier: Alina is told this several times during her Grisha training, but she refuses to believe it as she barely improves. It is only when she psychologically releases herself from Mal that she finally realizes her full power, and it certainly gets easier from there.

In The second book, another triangle forms between Mal, Alina, and Nikolai. It's up in the air exactly how much of it is actually love on Nikolai's side, and how much is just his awareness of how politically useful being married to the Sun Summoner would be. Nikolai being whohe is, it could easily be both.

Marriage of Convenience: Nikolai offers one to Alina, since he could give her political power and she could give him the loyalty of the Grisha. She declines.

The Marvelous Deer: Amplifiers come from magical animals and can enhance a Grisha's power, and the antlers of the Stag would be one of the strongest possible. The catch: only the one who kills the animal can control it.

Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!: The Darkling forces Alina to withdraw the light from the Fold with Mal inside it so that the Volcra will kill him. Hearing his screams sends Alina into Heroic Safe Mode and she reclaims the amplifier as her own, unleashing an even more powerful light and giving her the power of "The Cut," which she uses to help Mal and her escape.

Silk Hiding Steel: Genya, while considered a lowly servant, is still one of the most gorgeous women in the series, and is fairly harmless in the first book, until it is revealed that she managed to poison the king for months with her own personal concoction, thereby making it impossible to locate and identify. Made more badass when she reveals how she suck in the poison for so long and what it did (see: Took a Level in Badass)

Skewed Priorities: Lampshaded by Baghra and by Alina during her Eureka Moment. When Baghra calls Alina out on being miserable even when she's living better than any peasant in Ravka, Alina realizes that the reason she's so unhappy, and the reason she's had such a hard time using her own power, is because she's been subconsciously repressing it so as not to be separated from her childhood friend and crush Mal. After that, Alina swiftly gets her priorities in order for the most part.

Slave Collar: The Darkling has the stag's antlers made into one for Alina.

So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Genya is a really sad example. Her beauty and status as a servant causes the other Grisha to shun her...and the King to take full advantage of her.

Spanner in the Works: Prince Vasily is normally just useless, but then he announces that he arranged a treaty with Fjerda by allowing them free access to the roads in Ravka without interference from the First Army. While the Darkling and his army are looking for a way to invade Os Alta. On the night the most important people in Ravka would all be in one place celebrating Nikolai's birthday.

Special Person, Normal Name: In a world with names like Genya and Baghra, our resident Big BadThe Darkling's real name is Aleksander. Lampshaded by Alina in Ruin and Rising.

The Darkling: Aleksander.

Alina: (Laughs)

The Darkling: What?

Alina: It's just so ... common.

Taking You with Me: Alina tries this with the Darkling at the end of Siege and Storm. It doesn't work.

Genya created a poison that would not kill the victim, but cause a deterioration that would cut his life expectancy shorter, with the results being irreversible. More impressive when it is revealed that in order to give the King the correct amount of doses over time, she poisoned her skin (her lips, to be precise), knowing that he would take advantage of her multiple times. In order to remain unaffected by the poison, she would purge it from her skin and heal the burns it would leave. Every. Single. Time. Not bad for a lowly servant

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